White Cheese Polypore
Tyromyces chioneus
White Bracket Fungus (Polypore) Identification
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Key Features
- Sessile bracket fungus
- lacking a stem
- Pure white to cream color throughout
- Soft
- fleshy
- and watery texture when fresh
- Growing directly on dead or dying hardwood
- Underside covered in fine
- white pores (not gills)
Color:
White to cream/buff
Smell:
No distinctive smell
Growth Pattern:
Single
Environment:
Wood
Habitat & Distribution
Habitat:
Deciduous forest, on hardwood logs or trunks
Distribution:
Widespread across North America and Europe
Seasonality:
Summer to Fall
Critical Features for Confirmation
- Pore detail (size/shape) not visible
- Context (flesh) consistency and color not assessed
Economic Value
Market Demand:
None - inedible
Price Range:
N/A
Commercial Use:
None
Similar Species
Bitter Polypore
Postia stiptica
Key Differences:
- Context is intensely bitter (requires testing, not recommended)
- Often smaller and thinner brackets
Birch Polypore
Fomitopsis betulina
Key Differences:
- Typically found only on birch trees
- Cap surface usually gray or brown, tougher texture
Recommended Action
Do not consume. Confirm identification by examining pore structure and context consistency.